Tag Archives: civil war reenactment

Here’s an amazing living history opportunity coming up on May 21 & 22 at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA! The Civil War period of American history was a fascinating time. The people who put on these reenactments love their history and love talking about it. This one is coming up in a bit more than a week, so you have time to read a short book or watch a movie about the time. That will give you a heads up on what you’ll be experiencing in Perris!

My sons loved “Rifles for Watie” by Harold Keith when they were about 10 years old. It says the book is for teens and young adults, but we read aloud together and they truly loved the story. It is a war book, so more sensitive youngsters might find the story troublesome. “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane is another awesome story. Perris is about an hour and a half way from our part of the desert. You could find an audible file of the story and listen to it on the way there and on the way home!

It also looks like there are a lot of Civil War video, card, and board games available on Amazon. My sons had the XBOX one and enjoyed playing it. They said loading the guns and cannons was the part that really got them. It really slowed down the battle and gave them way too many places to get killed. I can’t imagine fighting like they did!

If the war aspect isn’t your thing, there will be a civilian camp at the reenactment with women and children. Why would they be there you ask? They have the answers and it’s not just because the reenactors thought it would be fun.

Also, don’t miss a ride on the big steam train around the grounds. The engineers love talking about their engines!